Peelander-Z, April 22, Neurolux

Greetings from Planet Z

Peelander-Z

What do you get when you combine giant foam headpieces, costume colors reminiscent of the Power Rangers, a cosmic anime aesthetic and Japanese punk music? New York City-based band Peelander-Z.

The uninitiated could understandably underestimate the group and dismiss it as a novelty act, but since its founding in the late '90s, Peelander-Z has recorded and toured extensively, providing audiences an unrivaled visual and aural experience. The band's 2013 release, Metalander-Z (Chicken Ranch Records), saw the "action comic punk band" looking to metal music (and a few "hair metal" bands) for inspiration, finding it among albums like AC/DC's High Voltage, Cinderella's Night Songs, Def Leppard's Pyromania, Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast, Motley Crue's Too Fast for Love and Van Halen's 1984.

But make no mistake, Peelander-Z is in its own world (members will tell you they hail from the Z area of the planet Peelander) and you don't want to miss a chance to visit.